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GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION

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sethdixon

I am a geography professor at Rhode Island College.

The “Seinfeld of Saudi Arabia”

“[This video] explores the idea Western “cultural invasion” into Saudi Arabia, and satirizes Saudi views of America in the process. The influence of Western, particularly American, culture is a big, touchy topic in much of the world, with people torn between their love of Michael Jackson and their desire to patronize compatriots over foreigners. It’s about national pride and about preserving one’s own culture.  For English captions (click the little ‘CC’ button in the bottom-right corner).

Skip to about 3:15 to see the segment on the Western ‘cultural invasion’ of Saudi Arabia and, appropriately, a very funny bit on attempting a ‘reverse cultural invasion’ of Saudi cultural in America.”

—Max Fisher in the Washington Post

Seth Dixon, Ph.D.‘s insight:

Given that Saudi Arabia’s government is a strict theocratic kingdom, many people imagine that those ideas and values are representative of the general population and imagine austere and unyielding personalities.  This video shows something we ratherly see in the West, local humor from Saudi Arabia that critiques their own cultural institutions.

Tags: Saudi Arabia, Middle East, globalization,  culture.

See on www.youtube.com

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Astrobleme

“Lake Manicouagan lies in an astrobleme in central Quebec covering an area of approximately 1206 square miles—an area half the size of Delaware. An astrobleme is a scar left on the Earth’s surface from an impact of a meteorite. Lake Manicouagan is the result of one of the largest identified asteroid or comet impacts on Earth. In the middle of the lake, on Rene-Levasseur Island, Mount Babel rises 3,123 feet into the air.

Lake Manicouagan is thought to have formed about 212 million years ago plus or minus 4 million years.  This happened when an approximately 3.1 mile-diameter asteroid crashed into Earth toward the end of the Triassic period. Some scientists speculate that this impact may have been responsible for the mass extinction that wiped out more than half of all living species.”

See on landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov

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Preparing 9th-graders for the APHG exam

Seth Dixon, Ph.D.‘s insight:

This article from the NCGE provides 10 ideas on how to prepare ninth graders for the AP Human Geography Exam.  Although tailored specifically for the youngest of test-takers, these strategies are good ideas for any teacher trying to help students do well on the exam. 

Tags: APHG, NCGE, Geography Education.

See on www.ncge.org

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From Pets To Plates: Why More People Are Eating Guinea Pigs

Guinea pigs are popular pets in the U.S., but in parts of South America, they’re a delicacy. Some environmental and humanitarian groups are making a real push to encourage guinea pig farming as an eco-friendly alternative to beef.

Seth Dixon, Ph.D.‘s insight:

First off, my apologies if you find the image distressing (I have two guinea pigs in my house and I will not be showing this picture to my children). However, the fact that many readers might find this image disturbing but wouldn’t think twice about the sight of chicken grilling on the barbeque highlights the cultural taboos surrounding what we consider appropriate food sources.  The tradition has diffused to the United States as more South American immigrants have come to the United States.  While the meat is more environmentally sustainable (less resources are required per pound than beef), many potential costumers are leery to eat something that they consider a pet.

Tags: food, diffusion, sustainability.

See on www.npr.org

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The Golan Heights

In early November 2012, three Syrian tanks entered the demilitarized zone (DMZ) of the Golan Heights. The move by Syria is the first violation of the zone in 40 years and concerns countries of the region. Since then some of the Syrian rebels have also been reported operating in Golan Heights.

Seth Dixon, Ph.D.‘s insight:

This article (orginally featured on maps101.com, the educational wing of maps.com) is a great starting point for learning about the geopolitical significance of the Golan Heights.  

Tags: Syria, MiddleEast, conflict, Israel, borders, political.

See on newswatch.nationalgeographic.com

Golan

Golan

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Canyons

“A canyon is a deep, narrow valley with steep sides.”

Seth Dixon, Ph.D.‘s insight:

This encyclopedic entry is a concise explanation of the environmental forces that create canyons. 

Tags: water, physical, geomorphology, landforms, National Geographic.

See on education.nationalgeographic.com

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China’s one-child policy creates massive gender imbalance

The Chinese government says its so-called “one-child policy” has succeeded in reining in its population. But more than three decades after the policy’s imple…

Seth Dixon, Ph.D.‘s insight:

This short video is an excellent summary of some of the societal consequences of China’s one-child policy in a culture that prefers male offspring.  


Tags: gender, China, population.

See on www.youtube.com

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Baseball Geography Lesson

Seth Dixon, Ph.D.‘s insight:

This resource has grade-level appropriate lessons on the spatial diffusion of of teams and the cultural geography of the baseball. 


Tags: NCGE, sport, diffusion, K12.

See on twitter.com

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Google Maps for Nintendo

Trial Version: http://goo.gl/i4onu Google Maps is now available for 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment Systems (NES). Availability in Google Store is TBD but you c…

Seth Dixon, Ph.D.‘s insight:

I love the this video that Google released exactly one year ago.  Instead of sharing it when I initially discovered this fantastic retro resource, I thought that it would only be fitting to share this on the one-year anniversary of its public release.  If you need some context to understand the purpose of this technological shift, watch this video.  And please try the trial version; this is version 2.0 if I’m not mistaken.  

See on www.youtube.com

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